The Summer Song
by unicornhime
Summary: Written for FGB. One-shot AH E/B fluff. One summer, a girl stumbles across a boy and his guitar in the park. There's nothing quite like a summer romance, is there?


_This was written as a prize for Fandom Gives Back. The lovely Legna989 won me and provided a great pic as a prompt for this one-shot. I hope you enjoy reading!_

_Also, thanks to Adair7 for her quick beta-ing.  
_

* * *

**The Summer Song**

Bella Swan had a bad habit of following her feet.

Most people might think this was a good thing, but Bella's feet tended to lead her to trouble. For one thing, there seemed to be a missing wire between her feet and her brain, because she was horribly uncoordinated. And for another thing, she manages to get lost entirely too easily.

The first weekend of June finds her in downtown Seattle, wandering the paths of a park that overlooks the Sound. It was actually a nice look park, populated with joggers and dog walkers, and the occasional couple strolling along the waterfront. It was a rare sunny day, and it seemed like everyone wanted to soak up as much sun as possible.

As she continued to wander through the park, hoping to maybe see a bus stop or something that would provide a way back home, her ears caught the faint sound of someone strumming a guitar. Curious, she followed the music until she found the source.

A young man about her age was sitting on the slanted concrete that led to the water. He had some sheet music anchored by a rock at his side and cradled the guitar in his lap. His clothes weren't anything special – just the usual jeans and t-shirt favored by most college kids – and his hair was an unruly mess of brown-ish red. Bella couldn't see his face because of the way he was angled away from her, but he had an air of confidence about him that suggested he was at least decent looking.

Bella picked a spot a safe distance away and curled her legs under her so she could sit and listen. She hoped she wasn't being too obvious, and that the small shrubbery beside her would do something to make her look less intrusive. The song wasn't one she recognized, but it was very soothing. She wanted to hear more. She listened as he lazily played along the strings and he began to hum.

His voice wasn't quite was she expected. She anticipated a sort of high breathy voice that was so popular lately, something like a James Blunt. Instead, his voice was smooth and low, as lazy as the sun shining down on them.

She leaned back against the cool concrete and closed her eyes, basking in the sun and the sound of his voice.

She must have laid there for hours before the music stopped. Opening her eyes, she scrambled to her feet when she saw how late it was; the sun was nearly set and she wasn't entirely sure where she was.

Looking around and seeing no one to save her, not even the mystery guitarist, she decided to walk back the way she'd come and hope for the best.

* * *

Every day for the following week, Bella became very familiar with that path in the park. She kept going back in hopes of finding the boy with the guitar, but usually ended up just sitting alone and watching the sunset over the water.

Then finally, exactly a week later, there he was.

This week, he wasn't as turned away and Bella got a good look at his profile before ducking behind her little shrub.

He definitely fit her idea of 'cute,' but when he was playing his guitar it was like his attractiveness was multiplied ten times over. However, that strong jaw line and those full lips certainly didn't hurt anything. Factor in that hair of his that just begged to be played with and Bella was just short of swooning.

He seemed to just be warming up, strumming the odd chord after chord and watching two kids play tag down the path. Then it was as if something flipped on inside him and he began to play. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Bella couldn't place it until he softly sang the words, too.

It was that Geico stalker song – "Somebody's Watching You."

He stopped playing and called out, "I know you're there, you might as well come out where I can see you."

Sheepishly, Bella stood up and faced him.

"Oh. You're cute," he said, surprised.

Bella blushed, "Were you expecting some troll to come out from under the bridge?"

It was his turn to blush, "Sorry, no. You're just… really cute. I mean, um, I knew you were watching last week, too, and you're just not at all what I pictured."

"Thanks?"

"Um, well, would you like to sit over here? I wouldn't mind the company."

"Um. Ok."

He watched her as she sat a few feet away. She stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back, propping herself up on her hands.

He began idly playing again. "Do you have any requests?"

"I like what you played last week."

"Last week I didn't really know I had an audience."

"You said you knew I was there."

"Yeah, but I didn't know if you were really listening."

"What else would I be doing?"

"Sleeping?" They both laughed at that. "So, no requests then?"

"I'm sure what you pick will be great."

And it was. He proceeded to put on quite the concert, mixing familiar songs with vaguely recognized songs and just a few that were clearly originals. As he played, Bella had the chance to really look at him.

He was clearly a little self-conscience, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he sang. But Bella stood by her earlier stance of his attractiveness. He had dark eyes that shined a deep green when the sun hit them just the right way and gorgeous hands. His hands were large, the perfect size for his guitar, with long fingers clearly designed for a musician. She could see the callouses on the tips of his fingers that indicated that he was a seasoned player, as if the perfect comfort in which he played didn't give it away.

He didn't look at her when he sang, instead focusing solely on his guitar, or out at the water. Bella didn't mind, though. It was very comfortable, the way he simply played and she listened.

All too soon, the sun was setting and he set the guitar down. "Thanks for listening. Will you come again next week?"

"I'd like that." She paused, staring down at her feet. "I actually have a bit of a confession. I've been coming here every day hoping to catch you playing again."

"Really?" He grinned widely. "That's…"

"Creepy and stalker-ish?"

"I was gonna say really flattering, but it'd be cool to have my own stalker for a little bit, I guess."

They both laughed, grinning at each other in the orange glow of the setting sun. "I really do need to get going," he sighed. "Same time next week?"

"It's a date."

* * *

It wasn't until Bella was walking the now familiar path to the park that she realized she never got the boy's name. And not only that, but she'd said "date." Why did she do that? What if he got all weird on her?

She fidgeted with a strand of her long brown hair as she neared their spot. She could see from quite a distance that he was already there with his guitar beside him. He looked the same as usual, though it was a little odd to see him without the instrument in his lap.

When he saw her approaching, he stood and started walking towards her, the distance between them awkward until they were close enough to speak without shouting.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi," she said shyly. "So this is really stupid, but I forgot to ask your name last week."

"Yeah, I realized I didn't have yours either. I'm Edward."

"Bella."

They smiled at each other, and walked side by side back to Edward's guitar.

"So…"

"So?"

Edward chuckled. "So is there anything else you want to know about me"?

"I don't know, I kind of like you just as the mysterious boy who plays guitar in the park," she grinned.

He laughed at that. "Ok, then. Just one more question from me. How old are you?"

"I'll be 19 in couple months. Why?" She suddenly looked worried. "Are you that much older than me that you're worried about robbing the cradle?"

"Haha no," he grinned up at her as he sat down. "Just curious."

"Aren't you going to tell me how old you are?"

"Are you asking? I thought you wanted me to be a mystery."

"I'd prefer to have some of the mystery taken away to my developing a complex."

"Fair enough. I turn 20 in a couple weeks."

"Really? You look older than that."

"Thanks?"

"It's a good thing, don't worry. What day?"

"You're killing all the mystery."

"I want to make you a cake or something."

"June 20th."

"There, was that so hard? Now, play me a song."

"Pushy, pushy," he teased, but picked up his guitar and started to play.

* * *

The next week dragged by for Bella, with one thing going wrong after another. She couldn't wait until she got to meet Edward again, but even with that, things were falling apart.

She really did want to make him a cake for is birthday – a whole picnic if possible. But when the day to meet him finally came, it was raining cats and dogs outside, and when she went to make a cake anyway, she got distracted by checking the weather updates again and again and it burnt to a crisp.

She cursed and threw the ruined cake in the trash with a kick to the can for good measure. Glancing at the clock, she knew there was no way she'd have time to even run to the store and pick-up a pre-made one, let alone bake another. And for all she knew, Edward wasn't even going to be there thanks to the rain.

Still, it was worth a shot to see if he was there. Grabbing a big yellow umbrella, she headed out the door and made her way through the rain to the park, stopping at a 7-11 to pick up some Hostess Cupcakes. It was better than nothing, she reasoned.

The rain pounded against the vinyl of her umbrella as she turned the corner that would bring their spot into view.

He was standing there, huddled under a tiny navy umbrella with one bent spoke, looking miserable and trying to protect his guitar more then himself, even though the instrument was in its case.

He was so distracted and the rain was so loud that he didn't notice Bella's approach until she was right behind him. Her umbrella was so big that it easily covered the two of them if she stood close enough.

Realizing that he was getting substantially less wet, he looked up.

"Hey," Bella offered.

"Hey," he sounded surprised. "I wasn't sure if you were going to make it today."

She held up the plastic sack with the cupcakes, "I tried to make you a cake, but I ruined it. You'll have to settle for processes confectionaries that will probably make you sick. Happy Birthday."

He quietly took the bag from her, peeked inside then looked back up at her with shining eyes. She started to get nervous when he took a step closer and his eyes darted to her lips, but he just said, "thank you" and stared at her.

She shifted her weight nervously and looked at his guitar case. "I can't believe you actually brought that out in the rain."

That seemed to break the tension that had grown between them as Edward laughed self-deprecatingly. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. You're not going to make me take it out, are you?"

"Are you crazy? Of course not. However," she raised an eyebrow, "that doesn't mean you're off the hook. I came to hear some music. You could at least sing for me."

"That seems a fair price for cupcakes," he grinned. "What would you like to hear?"

* * *

The rest of the summer flew by, with the highlight of nearly every week being the time Bella spent with Edward. Every week, rain or shine, they met up at their park. They never talked about their lives outside the park, but got to know each other's likes and dislikes and opinions on important matters such as which way should the toilet paper go (Bella doesn't care, Edward is adamant that it goes over).

Sometimes Bella would bring food and they'd have a picnic. If it rained, they'd stand under Bella's big yellow umbrella and Edward would sing one song to her before they escaped to a dry pavilion in a different part of the park. The important part was they met in their spot every week.

However, the summer had to come to an end sometime.

A late day in August, Bella approached the park with her usual excitement, but it all drained away as soon as she saw Edward slumped over his guitar staring off into the distance. Usually he heard her approach and would jump up to meet her, or grin and start to play one of her favorite songs.

But this time, he just sat there, looking like a lost puppy. Bella somberly crouched down beside him.

"Hey," she nudged his shoulder with her own. "What's wrong?"

"The summer's ending. We're not going to be able to meet like this anymore."

"Oh." Bella felt numb. She knew this was coming, but now that it was here, it didn't feel real. Like if she'd ignored it long enough, it would just go away. "I could break my mystery rule and we can email and call and stuff."

Edward shook his head. "I'm awful at keeping in touch like that. And you know we'd just fade apart eventually, why prolong the inevitable?"

That was a jab to the heart. "You don't even want to try?"

He finally looked over at her and realized what he said. "What? No, that's not what I meant! I'm just trying to be realistic and I meant that I'd rather keep you as this wonderful memory. I mean, I'm from Chicago! I was here for some music classes over the summer."

Bella laughed bitterly, "That's ironic. I don't live here either. My parents are divorced and I was staying with my dad before going to college."

"So you see how this is doomed to fail?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Maybe… maybe I'll see you next summer?"

"I hope so."

They sat in silence for a few long minutes.

"Well," Bella spoke up, "aren't you going to play me a song?"

"Of course."

When they parted that day, it was with a long hug, but nothing more. Neither side was willing to risk tarnishing their last moment together.

* * *

A week later, Bella was on the campus of the University of Washington sitting in the grass in front of the fountain. Freshmen Orientation was over and she finally had a moment to herself. Not that she didn't love her dorm-mates, but she grew up an only child and wasn't used to sharing a room.

She leaned back in the grass, staring up at the cloudy sky above and couldn't help but wonder what Edward was doing at that moment. It was strange not to be at the park, listening to his guitar.

She could hear a guitar now, and wasn't surprised. The yard was a popular place for students to relax and often there would be someone playing some instrument or another in between classes.

Looking over to see the source of the music, she shot up in shock.

'There's no way that's Edward,' she thought to herself. But it looked an awful lot like him from where she was sitting. Same hunched posture, same messy hair…

Ever a glutton for punishment, she had to see. Without bothering to pick up her bag, she quickly jogged over to him.

"Edward!" she shouted.

The guitarist's head shot up, his eyes wide in amazement. "Bella?"

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"I go here! What are you doing here?"

"_I _go here! Why didn't you say something?"

"You said you were just visiting your Dad for the summer. I thought you were going back to your Mom's. Why didn't you say something?"

"You said you were just taking a summer course – oh." She blinked and Edward stood so he could talk to her without craning his neck. "You started classes early?"

"Yeah." He ran a hand through his wild hair. "How did this not come up?"

"I wanted you to remain a mystery," Bella said ruefully. "That was the stupidest idea I've ever thought of."

Edward chuckled and Bella suddenly became aware of how close they were standing, though couldn't seem to bring herself to back away. "You know, this is all very _Grease_ summer romance of us."

"As long as you don't turn all James Dean on me, I'm ok with that."

"That's _Rebel Without a Cause."_

"You get the general idea."

"Yeah but they're totally diff-"

"You know what?" She interrupted. "We've done enough talking this summer. Shut up and kiss me already."

Edward didn't miss a beat. He cradled her face in his hands and firmly pressed his lips to hers. She blinked in surprise, not expecting him to be so forward, but quickly got over her shock and kissed him back with just as much fervor. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pulled herself closer, completely surrounding herself with all that was Edward, surrendering to the feel of his lips on hers and the way his hands encased her face like she was precious glass.

They might have carried on with their reunion for much longer, if the cat-calls and shouts hadn't interrupted them. Then they remembered that they were in a very public place, and broke apart, each a little pink in the face and also a little breathless.

"That's what we should have been doing all summer."


End file.
